1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to storage and online retrieval and display of historical account statements. The invention is more specifically related to a method, system and computer program product for storing and retrieving historical account statements for customers or members of organizations. More specifically, this invention relates to a method, system and computer program product for storing and retrieving historical account statements online by using a text version of the account statements stored for periodic printing and mailing of statements as a source of information for formatting and display.
2. Discussion of the Background
With the advent of the World Wide Web (web), many organizations such as businesses have published information regarding their products and services online for access by customers or members and prospective customers or members. Organizations such as financial institutions (e.g., banks, credit unions), credit card companies, utilities, gasoline companies, retail merchants, airlines, distributors and suppliers to other businesses typically mail paper statements reflecting account activity and account status on a regular periodic basis, for example, every month or every quarter. Using security features developed recently for web browser programs, organizations have begun to allow customers or members to access and view information regarding the customers' or members' account activity using web browsers. However, many programs developed to provide this type of information have involved operations of searching databases of the organizations to obtain requested information, followed by formatting operations to format the retrieved account information for suitable display on the accessing customer's or member's web browser.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,712,987 to Waits et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,831 to Waits et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,812,989 to Witt et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,725 to Bellinger et al. disclose systems in which information regarding customer transactions are managed.